Highway ice crusher and loosener



May 18, 1943 M. RYPKEMA 2,319,520 HIGHWAY ICE CRUSHER AND LOOSENER Filed May 2', 194; -2 sheets-sheet 1 .Ziaaenior Patented May 18, 1943 HIGHWAY 10a CRUSHER AND LOOSEN-ER Martin Rypkem'a, Sandstone, Minn, assig'nor of one-half to Ernest A. Hclz'nagel Application May 2, 1941, Serial No. 391,549

2 Claims.

This invention relates to highway ice crus ers and looseners.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a novel .and improved highway ice crusher and loosener which can be driven over a highway covered with ice and hard snow and. which will cut, break and crush its way through the coating of ice and snow on the highway down to the surface of the highway to break out and loosen the ice and snow and thereby permit the ready removal of the same from the highway.

Another object is to provide a highway ice crusher and loosener which may be mounted on a highway vehicle such as a heavy truck or road patrol vehicle and which includes a multiplicity of spaced discs carried on a rotatable shaft and which discs may be held in a desired fixed relationship relative to the wheels of the vehicle so that the discs will roll over the highway under part of the weight of the vehicle to cut through and break out the snow and ice under the paths of the discs down to the surface of the highway but at the same time the discs will not dig into the surface of the highway to such an extent as to damage th same.

i 'The objects and advantages of theinvention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar part throughout the various views and in which:

- Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a truck equipped with oneof the highway ice crushers and looseners embodyingthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the truck shown in Fig. l;

i Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the frame, discs and shaft taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a truck equipped with a double ice crusher and loosener embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a face view of a slightly different type of disc that can be employed in place of the discs shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive; and

Fig. 7 is an edge view of the disc shown in Fig. 6.

While my highway ice crusher and loosener may be mounted on different types of vehicles, in the illustrated drawings the same is shown as being mounted upon a truck designated as an entirety by the letter A and including a chassis frame 8 supported in the customary manner by tire equipped front wheels 9 and tire equipped rear wheels H). The cab of the truck is desi nated by the numeral II. The frame 8 supports cross sills 12 which carry a box body I3 whereby the truck can be loaded to any desired extent.

In the illustrated embodiment a pair of opposed brackets l4 of angular construction are secured to the frame 8 at the sides thereof forward of the rear wheels l0; 'I hese brackets are equipped with a plurality of openings I la to receive at various levels a pivot shaft 15. Connected to the shaft I5 are the forward ends of side bars Isa of a U-shaped swinging frame [6, the rear end of which is formed by a crossbar 'lfib. In the illustrated embodiment the bars 16a and lfib are of channel iron construction and the frame is accordingly quite strong and rugged. Mounted at the lower edges of the side bars 16a of the frame 16 near the rear ends of the same in oppositely disposed relation are a pair of downwardly extending bearing brackets 33 which carry sleeves l'i rotatably mounted therein. The sleeves I! have internal openings therein of square shape to receive a disc shaft l8which extends through the sleeves l'l transversely of the vehicle and is preferably of square shape in cross section throughout most of its length and between points internal of the two sleeves Ii. The two outer ends of the shaft it are equipped with screw threaded portions Isa.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive the shaft l8 carries for rotation therewith a multiplicity of rather thin circular crushing discs I9. These discs each have a squared central opening through which the squared portion of the shaft I8 extends and the discs are held in regular spaced relation longitudinally of the shaft l8 by a multiplicity of spacing collars 20 which fit over the shaft 18 between adjacent discs l9. These collars 20 have internal openings of square shape to receive the shaft and preferably both discs l9 and the collar 2B are free to slide on the shaft l8 longitudinally thereof. Interposed between the outermost discs [9 and the adjacent sleeves I! are spacing washers 2| through which the shaft l8 extends and similar washer 22 bear a ainst the outer ends of the sleeves l1 and receive the screw-threaded portions lBa of the shaft l8. To hold the various parts through Which the shaft I8 extends on the shaft tightly assembled relation, heavy nuts 23 are screwed onto the screw threaded ends l8a of the shaft and these nuts are drawn up tightly to prevent sliding movement of the discs 19 relative to the shaft and to tightly clamp the sleeves ll between adjacent washers 2i and 22 respectively. It should be noted that the sleeves I! are of somewhat greater width than the bearing brackets 33 so that the washers 2| and 22 will have no clamping action in respect to the bearin brackets l1.

Attached at one end to an eye 24 secured to the chassis frame 8 of the truck is a heavy coiled tension spring and this spring is attached at its lower end to a spring bracket 28 secured to the cross bar Ifib at the rear end of the swinging frame It. The spring 25 is of such strength that if the rear part of the swinging frame i6 is free to raise from the position shown in Fig. 1, the spring 25 will lift the rear end of the frame It and the parts carried thereby so as to raise the discs [9 well above the level of a highway over which the truck A is traveling. Of cour e, it

will be appreciated that various other mechae nism than the spring 25 can be employed if desired for holding the rear end of the frame It raised to such position that the discs l9 are well above the level of the highway.

Secured to the upper edges of the side bars 19a of the swinging frame it, preferably above the shaft l8, are a pair of jack brackets 21 and secured to the chassis frame 3 above the brackets 21 are a pair of similar downwardly extending jack brackets 28. vided for use between an upper jack bracket 28 and a lower jack bracket 21. As shown the cylinder ends of the jack 29 are pivotally connected to the brackets 21 while the piston rod ends of the jacks 29 are pivotally connected to the bracket 28. Fluid conduits 39 are connected to the cylinders of the jacks 29 in the usual manner and these fluid conduits are shown as leadin into the cab II and these hydraulic jacks 29 are operated in the usual manner from the cab ll of the vehicle through the medium of pump, reservoir, back check valve etc. which are thought unnecessary to illustrate. Suffice to say that under the control of the driver of the vehicle sitting within the cab I l a lever 3| can be moved in one direction to cause fluid to pass through the conduits 30 into the jacks 29 to extend the piston rods from the cylinders of the jacks and thereby lower the swinging portion of the frame '16 against the tension of spring 25 so that the lower edges of the disc l9 extend downwardly from the chassis frame 8 a desired distance and at a certain level relative to the tires of the wheels ill. By operating the lever 31 in opposite direction the fluid-from the cylinders of the jacks 29 may pass from the cylinders back through the conduits 39 thereby permitting the spring 25 to raise the swinging end of the frame It and raise the discs I 9 well above the highway over which the vehicle is traveling.

In using the device shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the truck equipped with the highway ice crusher and loosener will be driven to a point on the highway, designated B, where the ice and snow is to be removed and while being so driven to such point,

Hydraulic jacks 29 are proadjacent the plane of the lower tread surfaces of the tires of the front and rear wheels 9 and 10. The box body 13 of the truck will preferably be loaded with material such as sand, sand bags, stone or the like so a to impose considerable weight on the rear end of the truck. When the discs [9 have been lowered as described, a part of the weight of the truck which before the lowering of the discs was all taken by the rear wheels I9, will be taken by the disc IS. The proportion of weight taken by the said discs when lowered and by the rear wheels II], when the discs are lowered, may be very quickly and easily varied by extending the jacks 29 to a greater or lesser degree. With the discs lowered and held in fixed lowered position by the jacks 29 the device is ready for use to crush and loosen the ice and snow coating the highway B.

As the truck travels over the highway with the discs lowered all of the discs i9 will turn as a unit with the shaft l8, rolling over the highway surface. As these discs are quite narrow and as the discs take a great deal of the weight of the vehicle they will cut and crush through the snow and ice covering the highway down to the surface of the highway. The rolling action of the discs causes the discs to make a shearing cut through the snow and ice. A the discs reach the surface of the highway, assuming that the jacks 29 are properly adjusted, they will not dig into the surface to injure the same for the reason that they are not resiliently pressed against the highway surface, but remain at fixed positions relative to the wheels. In other words, if the vehicle should travel over a section of the highway clear of ice and snow, the discs will merely roll over the clear stretch of highway without pressing into the highway surface for the reason that substantially all the weight of the truck will be carried by the tires of the front and rear wheels 9 and 19 of the truck. As an ice covered patch of highway is approached by the discs 19, the discs will take a considerable part of the load of the truck to cut and work through the ice until such time as the weight is relieved by reason of the fact that the discs have worked down to the highway contacting level of the tires of the rear Wheels.

In the drawings Figs. 1 to 3 the discs are intermediately spaced between the sides of the vehicle and accordingly the ice will be cut away from the highway in a path underlying only the central part of the vehicle. The number of discs employed and the length of the shaft I8 employed will be varied in accordance with the weight of the vehicle, it being of course necessary that sufficient weight shall be imposed on the rear wheels ID at all times that the vehicle will have sufficient traction. In other words, in a rear drive vehicle such as an ordinary truck the discs l9 cannot be lowered to such an xtent that they will take too much of the weight of the vehicle or the rear wheels will not have sufiicient weight imposed thereon to give the vehicle traction to propel itself. In order to give suflicient weight against each ice contacting surface of each disc to crush and cut through the ice contacted, greater or lesser number of discs will be employed.

By varying the extension of the jacks 29 the discs can be extended or retracted to meet different ice and snow conditions and different highway conditions. On concrete highways, generally speaking, the discs can be extended to a slightly greater extent than on highways of softer material such as black top, etc. without danger of the discs cutting into or injuring the highway surface. If the icy material coating the highway consists largely of crushed and beaten down snow, the discs do not need to carry as much weight as in case the device is used for breaking away hard frozen ice formed from water.

By reason of the fact that all the discs roll together a much more effective cutting action is obtained than would be the case if the discs were mounted to individually rotate freely on the shaft 18.

In Fig. 1 the highway 13 forward of the discs I9 is shown as being covered with a solid layer of ice C. Rearward of the discs IS the ice is shown as having been broken up into loosened flakes or pieces D. These loose pieces or flakes can be either removed from the highway as by brushing, sweeping or ploughing the highway, or they can be removed by the sweep of wind caused by the vehicular travel over the highway. -After one cut has been made through the ice adjoining cuts can be made by succeeding trips of the vehicle over the highway.

In place of the plane surface discs I9 shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, discs similar to the disc 32 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 can be substituted. The disc 32 is corrugated at its edges so that as the disc. travels over the highway it will cut in wavey-like lines. tage over the plane surface disc l9 inasmuch as the total perimeter of the disc 32 is of greater length than the total perimeter of the disc l9, assuming both discs are of the same diameter, andfor. this reason the disc 32 will tend to cut or massurate the snow and ice into smaller pieces. The discs 32, however, have some disadvantages over the discs I9 for the reason that because the disc 32 has a larger ice contacting surface more weight must be imposed upon the disc 32 than upon the disc l9 to cut through an equal depth of ice. The corrugations in the disc 32 radiate outwardly from a flat circular central portion within which a square shaft opening is formed.

In Figs. 4 and there is shown an ice crusher and loosener E which differs only from that previously described in that two shafts 18 are The disc 32 has some advan employed and the discs IS on one of these shafts are staggered relative to the discs IS on the other shaft so that the discs on the rear shaft will work between the cuts made in the ice and snow by the discs on the forward shaft.

While the hydraulic jacks 29 described can be successfully used for the purpose of lowering the disc shaft carrying frame to the desired level and holding the shaft fixed at such level, it will be readily appreciated that other mechanism can be employed for this same purpose. The bydraulic jacks 29 have an advantage over screw type jacks or over telescopic rod holding means with adjustable pins holding the telescopic rods together for the reason that the hydraulic jacks can be very quickly and easily extended or distended to any desired degree. Pneumatic jacks while they could be used will not be as effective as the hydraulic jacks for the reason that the pneumatic jacks will exert a resilient pressure against the highway surface due to the resilient nature of the pneumatic fluid and thus with the pneumatic jacks there'is danger that the discs will dig into and injure the highway surfaces after carrying through the ice and snow.

It will be seen that a highly eilcient highway ice crusher and loosener has been provided. It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the Various parts without departure from the scope of the present invention which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described, and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A highway ice crusher and loosener for use on a vehicle, comprising a frame adapted to be mounted at the underside of the vehicle for upward and downward movement of a portion thereof relative to the vehicle, a cross shaft journaled in said portion of said frame, a multiplicity of spaced corrugated circular blunt edged discs carried by said shaft to all rotate in unison, and means for holding said portion of said frame in definite spaced relation from the vehicle.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, the corrugations of said discs emanating radially from central portions of said discs.

' MARTIN RYPKEMA. 

